Nine teams will line up at the start of the 27th AHF Asian Men’s Club League Handball Championship, a qualification event for the 2025 IHF Men’s Club World Championship, with the continental competition taking place between 12 and 23 November, in Doha, Qatar.

This will be the fifth time the AHF Asian Men’s Club League Handball Championship is held in Qatar, having been previously hosted by the Asian country between 2012 and 2015, when four Qatari sides – Al-Rayyan, El-Jaish and Lekhwiya – were crowned champions.

However, a Qatari side has not won the title since 2021, when Al-Duhail were crowned champions, with the last three winners being Kuwaiti side Al-Kuwait, Bahraini side Al-Najma and Saudi team Khaleej Club.

The latter will return and will be one of the favourites for this edition of the competition, being one of the nine sides which line up at the start, after two other sides – Uzbechka Club, representing Uzbekistan, and Iraqi side Al-Karkh SC – withdrew from the competition before its start.

Therefore, the nine participating sides have been divided into two groups, one of four sides and one of five sides, with the top two sides in each group progressing to the semi-finals.

Group A have four sides, with some interesting battles on the horison. Qatari side Al-Rayyan, the current leaders all the domestic league, will face experienced side Al-Kuwait, the winners of the 2022 edition of the AHF Asian Men’s Club League Handball Championship, as well as Emirati side Sharjah SC and Bahraini team Al-Shabab.

In Group B, the reigning champions, Khaleej Club, which finished fifth at the 2024 IHF Men’s Club World Championship, with some excellent performances, will be favoured to progress to the knockout phase, facing Ahli Sidab Club from Oman, hosts Al-Duhail, Kazma SC from Kuwait and Iranian side Sanat Mes Kerman.

The winner of the 27th AHF Asian Men’s Club League Handball Championship will earn the right to represent the continent at the 2025 IHF Men’s Club World Championship, which will take place next autumn in Egypt.

27th AHF Asian Men's Club League Handball Championship - groups

Group A: Al-Rayyan (QAT), Al-Kuwait (KUW), Sharjah SC (UAE), Al-Shabab (BRN)
Group B: Khaleej Club (KSA), Ahli Sidab Club (OMA), Al-Duhail (QAT), Kazma SC (KUW), Sanat Mes Kerman (IRI)